Throne of Fire
by crayon115
Summary: Takes place after series finale. Zuko is Firelord, but he can't do it alone.
1. Chapter 1

"No."

"But…"

"No!"

"Firelord Zuko, if you would only _listen…"_

"Hey, _who_ is the Firelord here?"

The man sighed. "You," he reluctantly admitted.

Zuko smirked. He absentmindedly flickered a flame on and off through his fingertips. "That's right. And, I know I'm young, but I think I've been doing a pretty good job so far at keeping our people fed. _You_ eat every day, don't you? And let me tell you, it ain't easy. I've been doing the paperwork, keeping the peace, dealing with annoying complaints from people who _think_ they know better, and running a _nation, _all while getting three hours sleep a night! But if _you_ think _you_ can do better…well, who am _I_ to tell you that you don't deserve my title?"

The man sputtered. "Firelord Zuko, I meant no disrespect…"

"See you at the meeting tomorrow, sir. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

Dejected, the man walked out, shoulders slumped.

Mai leaned against the wall, amused. She sighed, getting Zuko's attention.

He turned to look at her. "Was that too harsh?"

She shook her head. "No," she said.

"Well, I wasn't wrong, was I? Raising taxes would be ridiculous. The people are already poor, and just because this guy thinks he's entitled to the finer things in life we shouldn't take everything away from them! _Fancy hair, fancy clothes, born with a silver spoon in his mouth…_" Zuko muttered, fuming.

"Hey, look whose talking, your Majesty," Mai scoffed. "You haven't exactly been living in rough conditions all your life, either."

"Well, yeah, but I had other stuff to deal with!" Zuko exclaimed, rubbing his scar. "Important stuff like restoring my honor and helping Aang save the world! This guy's been sitting around doing nothing, and he wants to take money from people who work all day just so he can afford his posh lifestyle!"

"No, I know, just giving you a hard time," Mai sighed. "I agree with you. He's an idiot. I was dying to throw a knife in his face the whole time he was talking. Who does _he_ think he is?"

Zuko gave her a half smile and took her hand. "You can say that again. Want to get out of here? I'm starved."

Mai checked her watch and frowned. "Father might be expecting me to make an appearance at this charity thing…_you_ know, so we can act like the perfect family to make him look good."

Zuko's stomach dropped in disappointment. He felt a surge of rage and a flame lit up from his fingers. Zuko knew that most of the time Mai was ignored by her father. When he did bother to speak to her, it was to offer a criticism or insult her. Why should she reward him by doing what he expected? Mai deserved a better father, someone who thought she should never change for others. "Blow him off," Zuko urged her. "I'll take you somewhere good, like that place Toph was telling us about with the spicy chicken."

"I know you don't understand, Zuko," Mai said, "but if I don't go, my father will yell, then my mother will yell, and my sister will get a big head when my parents tell her how happy they are that she isn't like me...I'll get nothing but grief for weeks. They'll _nag_." Mai scrunched up her nose in distaste and she shuddered. "I _have _to make them like me so they'll leave me alone."

Zuko knew that Mai liked her space, but he bristled at the thought of her posing in some poufy dress for a million reporters, gushing about her father to gain him votes. He knew she'd hate it, and he hated her father for putting her in that situation. "I get it," he grumbled, "but I'm not happy. I don't like that he does this to you." Zuko pulled the crown out of his hair so it fell in his eyes, the way he liked it.

"We'll hang out later," Mai assured her boyfriend. "Just…let me do this." His eyes stayed on his shoes. She gave him a half smile and ran a hand through his hair. "I like you without the crown," she told him. "You look more like yourself." He looked up. It was rare for her to be so openly complimentary. "Why don't you go see Sokka and Aang? Have some guy time or whatever," she suggested, rolling her eyes. "It might take your mind off things."

He nodded and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Fine," he relented.

"And don't worry, I won't let on about us to my mom and dad," Mai told him. Though Zuko had been reluctant, Mai had begged to keep their relationship a secret from her parents. Now both of them thought it crucial to their privacy, as everything Zuko did caused a media frenzy. If he knew, Mai's father would use their relationship for his campaign, and that was an awful thought that make Zuko wince. "Though I can't promise you I won't throw a knife at my dad's head if he says anything about you being too young to lead," Mai joked.

"I wouldn't discourage you," Zuko said, smirking. This gained him a wide smile.

"I really have to go, but see you later?"

"Yeah, see you." She left, and Zuko found himself alone in the room. Oh, wait, not alone. Zuko always forgot about the guards that stood attentive at every door. An assassination attempt could come at any time, Zuko was told repeatedly. He had to be protected.

In a way, Zuko missed the days when he could protect himself, with his team of friends standing behind him. He knew was still strong, and would fare well in a fight. Still, it wasn't the same.

With that thought in mind, Zuko climbed in a carriage and directed the driver to the house Sokka, Aang, Toph, and Katara shared, five minutes from the palace.

"Zuko!" Sokka called as the Firelord emerged from the carriage. Sokka was sitting on the steps, drinking lemonade. "What's happening, man? How's royal life?"

"He's always been royal, Sokka," his sister pointed out, rolling her eyes. "Now he's just the Firelord. Hello, Zuko." Katara kissed his cheek in greeting, holding her own glass of lemonade. She held it up. "Want one?"

"I'm okay," Zuko said. "Hey, Sokka."

"What's happening?" his friend repeated.

"Where's Aang?" Zuko asked.

"In the back," Sokka replied. "Doing some weird rock thing."

"He's practicing his earth bending!" His sister glared at him in defense of her boyfriend.

"Whatever," Sokka shrugged.

Katara sighed. "Unfortunately, I'm stepping out. Got some stuff to do," Katara informed Zuko, slinging her bag over her shoulder, the container of water firmly attached to her belt. "Good to see you. You should come by more often."

"Yeah, I'll do that," Zuko said, even though he came to visit regularly. "Bye," Zuko waved.

"So, man, don't be shy," Sokka said, appearing at his side and putting an arm around his shoulder. "Come on in."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them. This is only my second story, so I need all the help I can get. In terms of the title_, _I didn't steal it from Rick Riordan. I knew what The Kane Chronicles were, but I didn't know I had chosen the same title as the second book. Throne of Fire makes sense for my story, because Zuko sits on the __throne __of the __Fire __Nation. I didn't mean to offend anybody. In terms of the post-war question, like, "what have they been doing to rebuild the world?" it was only the first chapter! Give me a little time. But all in all, thank you for reviewing. It really helps to hear constructive criticism. Hope you like the next chapter._

"So," Sokka said, leading Zuko into the house, "what brings leading his friend into the house, "you here? Haven't you been buried in a pile of paperwork lately?"

"You have no idea," his friend sighed, exasperated at the thought. "There's so much to do. The second I finish one stack, another one gets dropped off!"

"That sucks," Sokka sympathized. "Like, that's suck of wild proportions. I bet your handwriting's great, though."

"Oh, yeah, well that makes it all worth it, doesn't it?" Zuko's sarcasm won him a laugh as the two boys went out to the backyard, where Aang was standing. When he saw Zuko, he grinned broadly and traveled over on a ball of wind, crashing into him. Zuko grumbled and dusted himself off, but gave his friend and close confidant a smile. "Hey, Aang," he greeted.

"It's so good to see you!" Aang exclaimed, and when Zuko looked at him, he saw that his friend had dark circles under his eyes, much like the ones Zuko himself was sporting. They had both been working long hours. However, the tense burden of Sozin's Comet was no longer resting upon Aang's shoulders, and he was visibly more relaxed.

They were all sitting on top of the fence, looking out at the corn fields. "So, Zuko," Sokka said, giving him an elbow in the ribs, nearly causing him to fall over, "how's _Mai?"_

"Fine," Zuko informed him, but the pained expression on his face told Sokka and Aang otherwise.

"What's wrong?" Aang asked, immediately concerned. "Is she okay?"

"Oh, she's good," Zuko said, "it's just her _father_." Zuko threw out his arm in anger, and flames lit up a corn plant. Aang quickly reacted, dousing the crop in water using bending.

"What's the matter with Mai's dad?" asked Sokka. "He served good cookies at that party he threw. Good music, too. I thought he was a cool guy."

Zuko snorted. "That's what he does when he's trying to get _votes_, but behind closed doors he treats his daughter like crap." Zuko's fists clenched and he blew his hair out of his eyes.

Aang's eyebrows shot up. "He doesn't _hit _her, does he?" he whispered. "He isn't…"

"Abusive? He doesn't beat her, as far as I know. I wouldn't put it past him, though, if she embarrassed him." Zuko's eyes narrowed and his jaw was tight. If he found out that Mai's father had ever laid a finger on her…

"Wow," Sokka said, interrupting Zuko's angry thoughts. "I had no idea." There was a solemn silence between the boys for a few moments. Sokka broke it. "How are _you_ guys, though? Has it been hard to see her since you've been so busy?"

"Oh, yeah, it's been really hard. If I'm not public speaking, I'm preparing _another_ speech, or I'm meeting with construction crews about rebuilding houses, or I'm signing off on new laws, talking to business owners about creating more jobs, meeting with diplomats from other kingdoms…it's just so frustrating," Zuko sighed. "I want to see her, but I have to put the nation first. It's my duty. I miss her, though." He felt a pang in his heart. "I miss her a lot."

"It's the same with me and Katara," Aang piped up, "except it helps that we live together, because we see each other every morning and every night."

Zuko wondered what it'd be like to see Mai that often.

"Yeah, that's a good point," Sokka agreed. "Why don't you ask Mai to move in with you?"

Zuko's head shot over in Sokka's direction. "That's kind of a big step…" he said skeptically.

"You're serious, about her, aren't you?"

"Of course I am!" Zuko exclaimed defensively. "I love Mai. I don't know what I'd do without her. I have all these people I'm responsible for, though. I never feel comfortable taking any time off."

"You can't work yourself to death. You have to take a break every now and then. If we're talking about Mai…" Aang began.

"How far have you gone with her?" Sokka interrupted.

"Sokka!" Aang exclaimed.

"Well?" Sokka addressed Zuko.

"I-I don't see how that's any of your _business_…" the Firelord sputtered.

Sokka laughed. "Oh, come on, Zuko. It's just us."

Zuko thought about Mai. His stomach filled with butterflies as her face filled his mind. He thought about the way they gravitated towards each other, like magnets. Magnets…that reminded him, he had to sign off on a couple forms about a factory being rebuilt…

_Mai. _He missed Mai. What was she doing? What was she thinking? Was she thinking about him? Was she talking to a reporter? Was she talking about her father? Was her father holding her hand, his grip on her so strong she couldn't escape if she tried? He had become so angry thinking about it that he had accidentally set another corn plant on fire.

"Poor plants!" Aang cried. "Zuko, stop killing them!"

"Sorry," Zuko muttered. It was rare for Aang to be upset with him.

"It's alright. Let's talk about you and Mai."

"What about me and Mai?" Zuko asked defensively.

"Well, what do you _do?" _Aang asked. "Together, I mean."

There was a pause. "We…talk?"

Aang nodded wisely. "That's good," he said. "Communication is good. It's what forms the real connection. Katara and I talked for years, and never did anything physical until…"

"Bah! Older brother here!" Sokka exclaimed, covering his ears with his hands.

Aang gave him a sheepish smile. "Sorry," he apologized. "My point is, Katara and I didn't have a connection because of some wild lust we had for each other, although that was there, too." The Avatar ignored Sokka's glare. "We had one because we were compatible right from the start. We became so in sync we could finish each other's sentences. We shared so many experiences that nobody else would ever understand. Sometimes we laughed so hard we cried." A dreamy smile appeared on his face. "That's what really made me love her, I think. Even in the midst of a war that had taken so much from her, she could still laugh and make the best of her situation. Above all, though, she believed in me. I believed in her, too. Really, all you need is faith in each other..."

"Oh, yeah, yeah," Sokka interrupted, waving a hand dismissively, "that's great. That's really, really great. But what we want to know is," he leaned on his hands, "are you _attracted_ to Mai?"

"Yes!" Zuko said.

"Well, what have you done with her? What base are we talking here? Have you gone all the way?" Zuko shook his head. "Third, then?" Zuko shook his head again. "Second? Come on, man, please tell me you've been to second."

"Um…"

Aang scoffed. "Even _I've _been to second."

"Ew! Older brother, remember?!"

"Sorry." Aang and Zuko shared an amused look.

"What, so you think that if I go to second, all my problems will be solved?"

"That's not what Sokka means, Zuko," Aang told him. "It's just, your problem is, you don't make the most of the time you do have with Mai."

"Yeah," Sokka agreed. "You have to make every moment count."

"…and asking her to move in wouldn't hurt either," Aang added.


	3. Chapter 3

Zuko paced back and forth in his office. He had been mulling over Aang and Sokka's words for two days, and hadn't come any closer to making a decision. He would love to live with Mai. He knew this, but there were several problems that would arise from making that step. First of all, it would be national news, with Mai's face plastered on every newspaper. Not to mention she would be the talk of the palace for weeks, her every move gossiped about and discussed. Mai was a fairly introverted person, and Zuko could only imagine how she would feel about that, all of her insecurities becoming free for anyone to talk about.

He loved Mai too much to put her through that.

Secondly, how could Zuko be sure Mai even felt the same way about him? What if he sprung this on her, and she recoiled? What if she said no? She would be gentle, and kind about it, but that almost made the thought of rejection worse. Asking her to move in with him could potentially ruin their relationship.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, if Mai moved into the palace they would be forced to tell her parents about their relationship. The mere thought of telling them made Zuko's stomach tighten up and his fists to clench. Taking his relationship, one of the main things in Zuko's life that brought him joy, and presenting it to be picked apart by the two people Zuko couldn't stand was something that sent him into a boiling rage just contemplating.

Despite all these obstacles, Zuko knew in his heart that it was a step he wanted to take with Mai. Every time they parted, he was burdened with the lack of a guarantee that they would meet again soon. He was insanely jealous of Aang's relationship with Katara; so much so that he had begun dreaming about having their life together. He would wake up clutching his pillow so tightly that once he accidentally set it on fire.

Mai seemed to know something was off. She visited in the afternoon, only to be ushered away by guards when Zuko's advisors came in for a meeting. Late that night, she tapped on Zuko's window, crouched on the balcony.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Zuko opened the window, and Mai climbed into his bedroom. He was suddenly very aware of the fact he wasn't wearing a shirt. Sheepishly, he pulled on a robe.

"How did you climb up here without being seen?" Zuko asked, baffled. The room was two stories off of the ground.

Mai gave him an impish grin. "Something good actually came out of spending all that time with Azula, surprisingly." She then gripped Zuko in a strong embrace. He grunted in surprise, and she stepped back, embarrassed. "Sorry…" she said, turning away. Zuko felt a surge of protest rise up in his stomach. He grabbed her hand and pulled Mai back toward him, hugging her tightly.

They stayed, locked in each other's arms, for a while, before Mai pulled away. "Zuko," she said softly. "What's going on? This is the first time you've touched me in days."

He realized she was right. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to be distant. It's just…"

"Hard," Mai interrupted. "I know it is, I do. I understand. You suddenly have all this responsibility and I'm just a distraction."

Zuko jolted in objection. "Mai, you aren't just a distraction! You know how I feel about you," he argued.

"Do I?" Mai asked, looking at him seriously. "Zuko, tell me the last time you kissed me."

"I kissed you on the cheek just the other day!"

Mai shook her head. "A real kiss," she insisted.

There was a long pause. She turned away from him. Zuko felt a surge of panic rise up inside of his chest. He thought that this was it, he was losing her. It was a thought he couldn't bear. He had to do something, anything, to get her back. "Mai, move in with me," Zuko heard himself say.

She stopped, and turned back to face him. "What?"

"Move in with me."

"You're not thinking. You're just scared that I'm right and you're too busy for a relationship right now…you're being rash…" she sputtered.

"No, Mai, I'm not being rash. You have no idea how much I've thought about this. That's why I've been acting strange! Not because I want to break up, because I want to see you in the morning when I wake up. I want a guarantee that I'll see you every day, and I don't want the time we spend together to be dependent on your father's schedule. I want _you_, Mai. I…" he ran a nervous hand through his hair. He couldn't remember the last time he'd made a candid speech like this.

"You…what?" Mai whispered.

He looked at her, and she knew. She opened her arms, and he ran into them. "I love you so much, Mai," Zuko murmured into her hair. "I know I'm not the most talkative guy, and I don't always express how I'm feeling very well…"

"Shhh," Mai said, and put a finger on his lips. "I love you, too."

Smiling so hard his cheeks began to hurt, Zuko kissed her in a way he hadn't for a long time. He knew that there would be hard times ahead, but at that moment, he knew this was one of the good times.


End file.
